Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
There were always so many bands that were knocking on the door of the Metal scene as the genre exploded, groups that encompassed the complexity of style and the openness of lyrical exploration. Whilst Britain and America had the monopoly for a generation, if we were to look at the time afresh, would fans struggle of the concept of the big four, where would bands from the rest of Europe, South America and beyond fit into this seemingly timeless conglomerate, would it not encompass a far broader base of Metal as Metallica seemed to take the avenue down and leaving the Thrash behind.
It could be argued that in one respect Lamb of God would be pushing hard to enter the musical closed shop of Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and the aforementioned Metallica, albeit firmly encamped in the Metal slice and resurgent love that America has for its once fallen kings of the genre, they more than hold their own when placed between two of the big four on stage, so much so that the fans inside the Birmingham Arena would have been hard pushed to declare a winner, if such a competition were needed, between the band and Slayer in terms of audience appreciation on the night.
The Birmingham Arena not only felt as though the foundations had been worked loose by the appearance of Obituary and Anthrax during the evening, but as the fans shook the flowing sweat from their veins, and prepared themselves for the steely gaze of Lamb of God, it was a wonder that the area didn’t put itself under quarantine as the images of the dangers of fracking can do to a sizeable and widespread section can do.
This was not just an evening of hardcore, of insanely creative joy in the form of high speed, juggernaut-like expression, this was a war on the senses of those who dare decry the symbolism of art in all its forms. If music of any style can bring people together then let it be so. Lamb of God performed with sincere craft on epically induced songs such as Walk With Me In Hell, Ruin, Now You’ve Got Something To Die For, Engage The Fear Machine, Blacken The Cursed Sun and Redneck, that symbolic gesture of knocking at the door of the all-time greats and demanding entry into a seemingly exclusive club become louder, the hammering on sturdy oak gates paying off as cracks in the wood splintered and tear under the relentless pressure.
A night for Lamb of God on British soil that arguably topped anything they had achieved before, a welcome to the new 21st creators of metal purity.
Ian D. Hall